Tuesday, 5 February 2019

Chris Gascoyne Interview: Peter's world goes up in flames

Peter and Abi have bonded a lot over their chequered pasts. Does Peter have any real feelings for Abi or is he just stringing her along?

No he has got feelings for her. He enjoys her company and she’s attractive. He wasn’t planning it, it just happened, and I think she liked him. They’re both in a particular place in their life and they are just enjoying each other’s company. He’s not using her for anything.

Abi often turns to drink when she’s upset, do you think Peter feels obligated to help her because of his own past?

There’s a certain protection that he feels towards her because he has been in that place himself and he can see the vulnerability in her, the hurt that it causes her. He does want to help her and protect her from that but he’s not there to save her.

It’s very complicated, it’s been on for almost twelve years now. They can’t live with each other and they can’t live without each other. Sometimes Peter lets the relationship go and thinks he can move on and Carla won’t let him, and vice versa, or sometimes they have a bit of input in each other’s relationships which puts a spanner in the works which brings it all to a crashing halt. Peter seems to be fine with Abi, he’s doing his boat he’s going to leave, he thinks she’s a great person and he enjoys her company. They have a lot of things in common but then Carla becomes involved in Peter's life again and therefore Peter falls towards her automatically.

Do you think there will always be something between the two?

I do, until one of them leaves or gets married. They are not good for each other but they will at some point be together. I don’t know how they are ever going to have an easy relationship.

When Peter finds his boat on fire and realises Simon is inside, how does he react?

He’s terrified, he’s desperate to get him out. Peter can hear Simon still screaming and shouting for him so he knows that he is alive and he risks his own life to save Simon which any father or parent would. It’s not a thing he thinks about, it’s an automatic thing that he would just do. Afterwards it hits him that he could’ve lost his son and that’s when he starts to think about how the fire started. Everything is treated with a higher intensity.

Do you think getting away from Weatherfield would be good for Peter?

I do but it’s almost like the dream is better than the reality. He is living for this dream when he is doing the boat up.

Peter has had some turbulent past relationships on the cobbles, what do you think it will take for him to settle down and be content?

Carla.

Do you think there is hope of them getting back together?

Yeah I think so. It’s unfinished business and unless they move to the other end of the world, and just carried on living without each other, they could get back together. But the spark is always there while they are still around each other.

How are you enjoying working with Sally Carman?

Oh it’s been fantastic, she’s a real pleasure. The scenes haven’t been hard because she’s a brilliantly instinctive actress so anything just comes out of her - a moment that’s not meant to be will just happen and she will play it and it’s a joy because you never quite know what the scenes going to be or how it’s going to play out. You have an idea of what you need to do in the scene but with someone like Sally it's exciting to play because it’s an instinctive thing. I’ve really enjoyed it and we have got on fantastically. We have had a great relationship and it’s been a good laugh while we were doing it. There’s been lots of days and night in that boat and on top of that boat and it’s been freezing and it’s cramped. It’s really been a great time I really enjoyed the whole storyline.

5 comments:

This is the very best version of Peter & Carla, the star-crossed lovers. It fizzles out once they decide to stay together because their relationship is only built on 'will they-won't they get together, kill each other, cheat on each other'. It reminds me of Len and Rita's marriage which was always threatened by Elsie, much more interesting than Len permanently leaving Rita for Elsie. Definitely Peter should team up with Abi, at least for a while, because they will have storylines beyond the passion and the actors look like they're having such a good time together. There could be a lot of humour in their relationship, perhaps like Tim & Sally.

I did want Peter and Carla to get back together until the writers/producers decided to put them on this endless will they/won't they storyline. I'm quite bored of watching them dance around their feelings for one another, then make these grand gestures towards each other only to refuse to get back together.

Peter and Abi have a different dynamic and although I'd have never put them together, I can actually think they have longevity.

On a side note, I don't think Peter and Carla's relationship started twelve years ago. Wasn't it about 2010, 2011 when they first got together?

I’m afraid I am so bored with Peter Barlow, and Chris Gascoigne is such a bad actor that I’m desperate for himto go back to sea, or wherever as soon as possible. The whole boat scenario was beyond ludicrous. Sally Carman on the other hand is an absolute breath of fresh air and deserves a script that brings her stability and her two other children....and the power to make Seb have a haircut!